Her Last One
by SquirlK
Summary: She wanted this Thanksgiving to be special but even she didn't expect everything that happened. Second Place winner at the MarstersMobsters Fall FanFic contest.
1. Thanksgiving

Her Last One… Thanksgiving

Disclaimer: Don't own them; I'll put em back when I'm done. I promise.

Reviews: Yes please. Readers Rock but Reviewers RULE!

A/N: This is the fic that won second place in the Marsters – Mobsters Fall Fanfic contest/challenge. Yay me! Specifics of the challenge will be listed after the last chapter. This was originally a thirty-six page one part but in the interest of easier reading, I broke it into five chapters.

As usual, thanks to WayWard Childe for his invaluable help on this fic.

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Joyce Summers still reeled from the battery of tests she'd been subjected to. It was almost a chore to get up and get dressed but she'd decided yesterday that she wanted life to return to as normal as possible. Of course, having a Slayer for a daughter pretty much guaranteed that life would never do more than _resemble_ normal. She'd been home from the hospital only a couple of days and was still a bit shaky. She was almost pathetically grateful that Buffy had decided to come back to live at home for a while, although it _had_ curtailed one of Joyce's favorite activities.

She wandered into the kitchen to see if there was any coffee left, happy to discover at least two cups worth left in the carafe. It was blissfully quiet in the house with both girls in school for the day. Joyce sat at the table and turned the newspaper around so she could read it. A glance at the date had her choking on the sip of hot fluid she'd just taken. It was almost Thanksgiving. A tiny voice at the back of her mind whispered that this could be the last one she'd see. Closing her eyes against the fear of that coming true, she decided to make this one a memorable occasion. Last Thanksgiving she and Dawn had been out of town and Buffy had rallied her friends to Rupert's apartment for dinner.

Rising from the table, she collected a pen and pad of paper from a drawer, resumed her seat and began to make a list. It would be the first of many lists that she'd make before Thursday. The concentration required to plan her Thanksgiving gave Joyce a measure of peace and helped to distract her mind from the fear gnawing at her.

It was a simple matter to do the shopping for her dinner. The girls were in school all day and she was on medical leave from the gallery. She was beyond thankful that she'd taken out insurance against serious illness when she'd gotten divorced. The thought that she could fall seriously ill and become jobless had given her nightmares so she'd made the arrangements never thinking she'd actually have to use it.

She checked the television listing to determine the start time of the Macy's parade, something Dawn never ever missed and calculated what time she needed to begin every phase of the dinner. As she made her plans, she wondered if there were any specific dishes that would appeal to the British members of their group. She knew that Spike enjoyed human food even though it wasn't necessary for him to exist. A phone call to Giles gave her the information and recipe she needed. She realized that Buffy would object to inviting the blond vampire to dinner but Joyce was determined that _everyone_ would be included. So, over the course of the next two days, taking it slow and easy, Joyce compiled the ingredients she needed for the best Thanksgiving ever.

**Thanksgiving Eve, Sunnydale High…**

It was a burned out shell of a building but it was still the Hellmouth so occasionally there were problems with some demons or other nasties trying to open it. That was the conclusion that Giles came up with when Buffy and Riley arrived to tell him that there was an impenetrable cloud of smoke surrounding the high school. They described the smoke as a perfect cylinder that encompassed the building. All attempts to enter had been repelled. Now they stood outside staring at the smoke and trying to figure out how to get around it.

Spike leaned against a tree and smoked while he watched the Slayer and Captain Cardboard attempt to penetrate the thick column of otherworldly smoke. He had a good idea what the smoke was about but there was no way in _Hell_ he was going to tell the others. It was much more fun watching them spin their proverbial wheels trying to get past it. He knew the creatures who'd conjured the barrier either didn't know or didn't care that, although it did a wonderful job keeping everyone out, it was just as effective at keeping _them_ _in_. Even if they succeeded in getting the Hellmouth open, something Spike _seriously_ doubted was going to happen this time, the barrier was highly efficient at keeping everything from getting past its boundaries. He chuckled as the sword Buffy tried to stab through the barrier bounced back and nearly took Riley's head off.

Off to the side, Willow and Tara were chanting quietly in hopes that they had the proper spell to lower the barrier and allow Buffy to go in and slay whatever was messing with the Hellmouth. Spike shook his head in derision. Spells were useless. He knew what would do it but again was not big with the sharing. In the year since he'd gotten chipped, the humans had treated him like a dog on a leash and then it had been determined that he could fight demons. Well, then it had gotten worse. The slayer treated him like her own personal demonic point man, good enough to fight demons but otherwise to be ignored as much as possible.

Idly he wondered if they would miss him if he slipped away and went to visit Joyce. He liked Buffy's mother _a lot_ and had been worried about her health since the last round of medical tests she'd undergone. No one had seen fit to let _him_ know how the lady was doing. It had been impossible to visit since Buffy had moved back into the house. The quiet evenings sipping tea and chatting with Joyce had halted abruptly with the Slayer's return. He would face sunlight before he admitted he missed the littlest Summers as much as he did the eldest one. Dawn was bright and feisty and gave him a good run for his money in the sarcasm department.

The blond vampire tossed his spent cigarette away as the Scoobies gave up on the cloud for the moment. It appeared they were going to return to the Watcher's place and research some more. He followed at a slight distance, not really surprised when they ignored his presence. As they trooped into the Magic Box, he paused just inside the door.

"I'm out of here." He announced.

Xander looked up from the book he'd been handed and frowned at his least favorite person aside from Angel. "And who says you get to skip out on the book reading, Fangless?"

Buffy waved her hand. "Let him go. It's not like he knows what to do about that thing."

Giles took a second look at the gleam in Spike's sapphire eyes and wondered. His green eyes narrowed on the blond menace. There was something about the vampire's attitude. He shrugged as he dismissed the nagging feeling he was making a mistake. "Yes, let him go. The sooner he stops distracting us the better chance we'll have of finding the solution to this problem."

Spike grinned and Giles wished he'd kept silent. "Thanks ever so, Watcher. I'll check back later to see if _you've_ figured out what you're dealing with." He was gone before the elder Brit could utter another sound.

**Summers house…**

Joyce removed the last pie from the oven just as a light tap sounded on the back door. She pushed a slightly shaky hand through her blonde hair and pulled the curtain aside to see who it was. Flipping the lock, she opened the door and smiled.

"Spike! Come in. I've been wanting to talk to you. I'm making dinner tomorrow and I want you here." She forgot her weariness as he came into the warm kitchen.

Spike frowned as he removed his duster to drape it over a chair. "The slayer won't like that."

"This is _my_ dinner and I'll invite anyone I want." She declared, her hazel eyes flashing.

"Yes, Ma'am." Spike smiled and tenderly brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.

She blushed and turned away slightly, uncomfortably aware of the flour on her clothing and the disarray of her hair. Her makeup had long since worn off. "I'm a mess."

"No, you're not." Spike let her go, having had similar discussions with her before. He knew how to pick his fights and this one he always let her win. He watched with amusement as she fussed around checking the still-hot kettle and setting up cups. She turned back and caught him watching her with intense blue eyes.

"What?" She asked almost defensively.

"Nothing, Luv." He shifted his gaze to the selection of pies cooling on the counter. "Are you okay? Looks like you've been working hard. Wouldn't do for you to tire yourself out now."

"I'm fine." She insisted, blithely unaware of the weariness evident around her eyes.

Spike watched her closely as she poured boiling water over the waiting tea leaves. His heart clenched at the signs of illness in her face and the infinitesimal tremors of her elegant fingers. Well aware that she would be offended by an offer to help, he resigned himself to his role of spectator.

"How's Niblet?" He opted to change the subject.

She looked up and smiled. "She's fine. She misses you but doesn't say anything around Buffy."

"My girl's a smart one that's for sure." He observed proudly.

Joyce began pouring the tea, her back to her visitor. "She just _hates_ to listen to Buffy rant about you."

Spike ducked his platinum head. "She'd be the only one." He muttered sullenly.

She whirled around to look at him. He'd taken up a leaning position against the counter. His handsome face was closed and tense as he studied the floor, obviously thinking about the verbal bashing he was subjected to on a regular basis. Joyce knew he thought she was unaware of it but she _knew _how the others talked to him and about him.

She abandoned their tea and walked over to him. "I hate it too." She said softly. "It's not right, the way they treat you."

Spike closed his eyes and turned his face away. "Doesn't matter. I'm just a vampire. Cannon fodder for patrols."

Rage flashed across her face. "_Don't ever say that again_." She hissed the words through clenched teeth. She put a gentle hand on his cheek and pulled his face back around so he was facing her again. "How can they not see?"

Spike raised a slender hand and folded his cool fingers around her warm ones. He pulled her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her open palm. Her face flushed at the gesture. A wicked smile slowly curved his lips. His free hand slipped sneakily around her waist. Slowly but surely he pulled her closer to his lean body.

"Hi." He whispered.

"Hi." She answered just as softly.

"I've missed you." He murmured as his face lowered fractionally.

"Missed you too." She admitted, her dark lashes fluttering as his lips got dangerously close.

"Been worried about you." The words were a mere breath against her warm mouth. "No one would tell me anything. Was going crazy wondering."

"Sorry, couldn't contact you without Buffy getting suspicious." Her hazy eyes closed as his mouth sealed over hers. She let herself enjoy the intoxicating taste of his kiss until she remembered that Buffy would be home at any time. She pushed lightly against his muscled chest, fingertips lingering longingly along the hard planes. Pulling her mouth away from the temptation of his lips, she leaned her forehead on his chin. She took a deep steadying breath. "Buffy will be home soon."

Spike sighed his disappointment. "I know. Left the lot of them at the Magic Box researching an annoyance. They'll get tired of it soon enough and leave it for tomorrow. It's not going anywhere." He pressed a kiss to her hairline and let her move away.

She turned but kept his hand locked in hers. She led him to the table and they sat down before she finished pouring their tea.

"What time do I show up for this dinner?" Spike asked as he played with her fingers. He gave an appreciative murmur as he sipped his tea. "Mmmmm, that's good."

"When I get you up." She told him, a smirk crossing her lovely face.

He gulped, trying desperately not to spit his tea out onto the table. "_When you what_?"

She passed him a napkin. "I want you to sleep in the basement. That way you won't risk getting dusted trying to avoid the sun. And you can watch the parade with Dawn. She'd love that."

"Joyce, Luv. I _can't_. Buffy…" She cut him off mid-objection.

"Won't know." She finished the sentence.

"Like Hell she won't." Spike frowned, troubled by her over confidence.

"Look, even if she finds out I won't let her do anything." She pulled his hand up to her mouth to kiss his palm. His dark blue eyes dilated as her warm breath ghosted over his cool skin. "This is _my_ dinner and _my_ guests. She can just deal with it."

He gasped and his eyes glazed. "Pet, you know I can't refuse you when you do that."

Her hazel eyes sparkled up at him and she grinned evilly. "Yeah, I know."

A low groan slipped out before he could stop it. "Gods, I can't resist you. It's been killing me to stay away."

Her fingers tightened on his. "I'm sorry."

"_What_? Oh, _no_! It's not _your_ fault. Please, don't think that. I should have come sooner. I should have gone to the hospital to visit. Should've brought you flowers like a real man. But that's the rub, isn't it. I'm _not_ a real man. I'm a vampire and you could do so much better than the likes of me." He faltered and bit his lip, trying to maintain his composure. He let his lashes fall to hide the prickle of tears he could feel rising. He'd sworn he wouldn't let her know how much his fear for her health was affecting him but only a little time in her company and he was disintegrating like a sandcastle at high tide.

Joyce let out a muted sound of distress at the misery on his handsome face. A quick movement had her on her feet and standing in front of Spike. She grasped his head between her hands and stared down into his eyes for a tiny eternity. He gulped in a deep unneeded breath and pressed his face into her midsection, winding his arms around her waist. Threading her fingers through his surprisingly soft hair, she bent over him slightly and whispered to him that it was ok and that everything would be all right. She rubbed one hand up and down his back soothingly while he shook with the effort of maintaining his control. He mumbled something against her stomach but she couldn't hear it.

"What? Spike, honey, what did you say?" She asked gently.

He turned his head slightly and repeated it almost too quietly for her to hear. "I've been so s-scared."

Her eyes misted. "Me too." She admitted, her voice choked.

It was all he could do not to break down and sob like a small boy. He soaked in her warmth like a sponge and allowed her to hold him for long minutes. The fear that the Slayer could walk in on them forced him to settle his hands on her hips and ease away from her comfort. He kept his head bent for several more seconds before clearing his throat.

"Suppose I should get down into that basement before _she_ gets home and decides to stake me, eh?" His voice was low and husky with suppressed emotion.

Joyce put her fingers under his chin and raised his face. Her heart broke at the dampness on his thick dark lashes from tears he refused to let fall. She knew it would embarrass him for her to acknowledge it so she pretended his face was perfectly dry. She couldn't resist running a thumb over one sharp cheekbone, smiling as his lashes fluttered down and his lips parted on a sigh.

"Yes, I guess so. I have to get up early to put the turkey in. I'll get you up before the parade. All right?" She murmured. He merely nodded and caught her hand to press another kiss on her fingertips.

By the time Buffy came home the kitchen was spotless. The only evidence of Joyce's activities was the cool pies lined up on the counter. A faint tingle nudged her slayer senses but she ignored it figuring it was just an old leftover from one of Spike's prior visits. It never occurred to her that her mother would house that particular vampire right under her nose in the basement.

_**TBC**_


	2. Parade

Her Last One… Parade

Disclaimer: Not mine but I can still play with em. Joss said so.

Reviews: Yes please. Readers Rock but Reviewers RULE!

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**Thanksgiving morning…**

Joyce had been in the kitchen cooking for quite a while when the basement door opened and Spike wandered through rubbing sleepy blue eyes. He paused for a moment listening with preternatural senses for evidence of the girls being awake. He could hear the television in the other room as the pre-parade show droned on. She watched him wake up with amusement shining in her eyes. She rummaged through the freezer for the packages of blood she'd hidden in there for him. He watched with heavy eyes while she bustled around heating it for his breakfast. He'd ended up next to the cupboard where the mugs were kept so she was forced to reach past him for one. A smirk crossed his face as he snaked his arm around her waist and pressed a quick kiss onto her willing mouth.

Joyce melted into his strong embrace for a second before pulling away regretfully. "Good morning." She whispered.

"Morning, Luv." His husky voice sent shivers down her back.

"I was going to let you sleep a little while longer." She told him as she checked the blood to make sure it was warm enough.

"Got a creak in your floor and _somebody_ kept walking on it." He teased as she poured his breakfast into the mug before handing it to him.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Joyce exclaimed, horrified she'd disturbed him.

"It's okay, Pet. I'm just teasing. I don't need much sleep. You know that." Spike soothed her.

"Keep that up, Mister, and I won't tell you where your clean clothes are." She threatened.

She grinned when the Big Bad perked right up at the mention of clean clothes. "You washed my clothes?" He frowned and looked down at the t-shirt and black jeans he was wearing. "Wait a sec. What clothes?"

"The clothes you left here before. When you and Buffy killed that extra slimy whatever that was and you took a shower. Remember? I made Xander go get you some replacement clothes." She turned her attention back to the dish she was preparing.

Spike grinned as he remembered the night in question. The fight had been fun but the mess the demon had made had been slimy and smelly. "You're right. I did leave them here. I thought you'd throw them away." He watched her for a few minutes. "What are you making?"

"A surprise for you and Rupert, blood sausage." She winked at him.

His jaw dropped and he gaped at her. "You. Are. A. _Goddess_." He whispered in awe.

"So I've heard." She said with satisfaction that she'd succeeded in surprising him. "Now, why don't you go take a shower and put on your clean clothes?"

"Because your stake-happy daughter will cause me to become mud on your shower floor?" Spike moved over to the sink and rinsed out his mug.

Joyce huffed a little in exasperation, wondering if her daughter would _ever_ learn to get along with Spike. "Use my shower. Just make sure you lock the door to my room and the bathroom door. She won't check in there and when she comes down I'll just keep her here. Your clothes are on the chair just inside my closet."

A wicked gleam lit Spike's sapphire eyes. "Why, Joyce." He purred. "Keeping my clothes in your closet? What a naughty little minx you are."

An answering gleam appeared in her hazel eyes. She shifted to stand in front of him and walked her fingers up his chest until she could run her forefinger along his full lower lip. "And don't you forget it, Buster." She told him using her most seductive tone.

A low growl rumbled in his chest causing her to laugh in delight. "Go get cleaned up or I'll make you help me cook."

"Going now." He escaped. Dawn looked up from her spot on the sofa as he breezed through. She paused in her inhalation of cereal to wave a milk covered spoon his direction.

"Hi, Spike!" She chirped.

"Hey, Bit. Your mum wants me to go clean up. I'll be back in time to watch the parade with you, ok?" He finished his greeting as he reached the halfway point of the stairs.

"Ok." The youngest Summers grinned happily. The day was definitely looking up.

Upstairs, Spike was immensely relieved to get into Joyce's room with the door securely locked. He moved without hesitation to her closet and stopped for a moment with his eyes closed just inhaling her scent. His clothes were right where she'd told him they'd be but he left them there, not wanting the steam from the shower to make them damp. Besides, he mused, it would give him an excuse to sit in her closet a while longer. He found it comforting in there.

A few minutes later, Buffy cocked her head as she paused outside her mother's locked bedroom door. The shower was running but Buffy was sure she'd heard her mom go down a lot earlier. She shrugged and went downstairs hoping for coffee. Dawn was on the sofa shoveling cereal into her mouth as she waited for the Macy's parade to start.

The Slayer was startled to see her mom sitting at the table sipping a cup of coffee and turning the pages of a newspaper. Joyce had gotten to a point in her cooking that she could take a short break before continuing with her preparations. She looked up as her eldest walked into the room.

"Mom! I thought you were upstairs. Did you know your shower is running?" Buffy collected a coffee cup and filled it. She grabbed cream from the refrigerator, her eyes widening when she saw the amount of food already prepared on the shelves.

"Buffy, sit down." Joyce said quietly but firmly. "We need to talk."

"Those words never precede _anything_ good." Buffy groaned as she sat.

Joyce smiled sadly. "I know. But we need to clear this up before you do something that would make me terribly unhappy. I don't know what is wrong with me. It could be nothing but it could be serious so I want this to be a Thanksgiving to remember."

Buffy shook her head in denial. "You're going to be just fine." She insisted.

"I hope so. But, still, I want this day to be free of hostility. I invited Spike to join us. This is my day and my dinner and I want him here. He is my friend. I don't want you or anyone else threatening him. Please do this for me, Buffy." Joyce pleaded shamelessly.

"But, Mom." The Slayer whined. "He's a _vampire_."

"A vampire who can't hurt you or anyone else. But more than that, he's my friend and I want him here. He's agreed to play nice for the day and I want you to do the same. I'm holding you responsible for the others. They are not to harm him or pick a fight with him. Is that clear?" Joyce was gentle but resolute.

Buffy's lower lip stuck out in a pout. "Fine. But that doesn't tell me why your shower is running."

The older woman studied her newspaper. "I sent Spike up there to clean up. He'd left some clothes here so I thought he'd appreciate a hot shower."

Buffy's green eyes glinted dangerously. "Just when did he leave clothes here?"

"The night the two of you came back all slimy and I had Xander get him some replacements." Joyce reminded her sternly.

The younger woman wilted a little. "Oh. I thought you threw those clothes away."

"I don't know how much Spike owns but I don't think he can afford to continually replace his clothes so I washed them. I have to say that it _was_ interesting. Demon slime takes a while to get out." She saw the question forming. "No, I will _not_ do your laundry. Wash out your own demon slime."

Buffy huffed. "Fine, then. I'll go talk to the others and make sure they know not to start anything. I want to see what Giles found out about that thingy we were fighting last night. What time is dinner?"

"I plan to serve it at three. I want everyone here by two-thirty." Joyce smiled at her daughter. "Thank you, Honey."

Buffy sighed. "Anything for you, Mom." She finished her coffee and left to warn her friends they would be dining with the enemy.

**Later…**

"You do know that those balloons are huge, right Bit?" Spike pointed to the Garfield balloon as it floated across the screen.

"Yeah, kinda got that." She snarked. "Oh look! What a cool float!"

"They start planning for the next year's float as soon as the parade is over. They barely take a day off before the planning starts for the next parade." Spike informed her.

"How do you know?" Dawn wanted to know.

"Well, New York is a great place for vampires this time of year. Most days it's cloudy. Makes it safe to be outside. Dru got it in her head to go watch the parade when we were there a while back." Spike pointed at the balloon bouncing across the screen. "Look at that, they had that one when we were there."

"Cool!" She bounced a little. "Tell me more."

Spike grinned in real pleasure at her interest. "It was snowing that year, not sunny like this one. We got there early enough to be right up front. Even got to talk to some of the folks running the show. Dru was a bit disappointed that the critters on the floats were made of flowers and such. But it didn't stop her from oooing and awing over the things." He paused to listen to the marching band now on the screen. "The bands are better nowadays."

"Did you eat anyone while you were watching the parade?" Dawn was ignoring the television in favor of trying to dig out gory details.

"No, and stop asking questions like that while your mum is in the next room." The sparkle in his eyes belied the stern tone. "And can that band get _any_ worse?" He grimaced at the new marching band that had followed the other one.

"They'll be gone in a second. That's a pretty float." Dawn directed his attention to the confection of pink and white that was crowding the awful band.

"If you like that sort of thing. The driver's in a bit of a rush, though. Look at the front, practically mowing down the band there. Not that they don't deserve it." Spike chuckled.

They looked up as Joyce joined them and handed Spike a cup of coffee, sipping her own as she sat next to him. Now the vampire was ensconced between his favorite ladies and damned happy about it.

"Time for a break then, Pet?" He raised his cup slightly in thanks as she settled in to watch the rest of the parade.

She nodded as warmth spread through her at the underlying concern in his voice. "Yes, I have at least an hour that I don't have to do anything."

"You should take a nap." Spike's blue eyes scanned her for signs of weariness.

She smiled. "I'm fine. I want to watch the parade. Did I hear you say you and Drusilla saw it in person one year?"

Buffy, Riley, Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya came in just as the parade was finishing. Dawn and Joyce were wiping away tears of laughter at the scathingly funny comments Spike had made about the floats, balloons and bands. They had made him compare the parade being shown on television against the one he'd seen in person. He'd told them all about his and Dru's trip to New York and their adventures while they watched the parade. He deliberately left out the slayer he'd killed while they'd been in the city. His description of how cold he'd been standing in the heavy snowfall had caused them both to cuddle up to him as if trying to warm him retroactively. He'd gotten nostalgic when he told them how entranced his dark princess had been when Santa Claus had floated by.

Xander glared at the television. "Oh _man_! We missed the parade. Have I mentioned lately that I _hate_ research? And why is it that Fangless got to hang out here and not have to do book duty like the rest of us?" He complained loudly.

"Rule number one, you will not call Spike names. Rule number two, you will not start a fight with him for any reason. Rule number three, there will be no discussion of anything demonic until after dinner. The other rules will be announced as they come up." Joyce informed them as she stood up and collected the cups she and Spike had been using. Dawn got up with her cereal box and bowl to take them into the kitchen before going upstairs to her room to play music until dinner.

Spike smirked at the Scoobies as he got up to follow his girls into the kitchen. "Joyce, can I help with anything?" They heard him asking as the threesome left the room.

"What's the deal?" Xander asked. "Is your mom under a vamp thrall or something? And _why_ can't we stake him again?"

"No, no thrall. She just likes Spike. I don't have a clue why." Buffy lowered her voice. "She's afraid this will be her last Thanksgiving and she wants to make it special. So let's all give her that. Ok?"

In the kitchen, Spike stilled as his vampiric hearing picked up Buffy's statement. His eyes flew to Joyce as she washed up some of the dishes she'd put in the sink as she prepared the food she planned to serve. She had put him to work drying while she washed and now his fingers tightened on the towel he held ready for the next dish.

Joyce failed to notice her companion's sudden tension. "Dinner won't be for a couple more hours. Why don't you slip up to my room and take a nap?" She suggested, still feeling a bit guilty over disturbing his sleep with her creaking floor. She held up a bowl for him to dry and frowned when he didn't take it right away. She glanced over at him, puzzled.

Spike stood staring at her, his eyes were wide and shocked. His face was paler than normal. His mind replayed Buffy's words over and over '_She's afraid this will be her last Thanksgiving_' until it echoed and it was all he could hear. He saw Joyce's lips moving but the Slayer's voice drowned her out. With an effort, he pulled himself out of the fugue he'd fallen into.

"Um, Luv, I think I'll take that… ah… yeah…right… should take a nap." His low voice shook and his fingers trembled as he handed her the towel. Bewildered, she accepted the cloth. She watched, speechless, as he turned and fled from the room, using vampiric speed. Seconds later she heard the door to her room slam shut.

Buffy burst into the kitchen while the slam was still echoing through the house. "Was that Spike flying up the stairs?" She demanded.

The rest of the Scoobies followed before Joyce could form an answer.

"Hey, why did F-ah, Spike just run up the stairs like a bat out of hell?" Xander barely avoided calling Spike his usual derogatory nickname.

"Do you want me to go up and make sure he's not messing with your stuff?" Riley asked, fingering the stake in his pocket.

Joyce carefully scrubbed the pan she held in her hand. "No, leave him alone. I told him that dinner wouldn't be for a couple more hours and suggested he go upstairs to take a nap. Apparently there's a creaky floorboard in here and he can hear it in the basement." Her voice was studiously steady. Her thoughts were racing over the reasons why he'd looked so shocked. She couldn't come up with the explanation.

"And we know this how?" Buffy asked suspiciously.

"Because he spent last night in the basement and I woke him up this morning walking around. Buffy, drop it. Please?" Joyce kept her attention strictly on her task.

"Mrs. Summers? What's wrong?" Tara asked softly. She could see the enormous stress the older woman was under but couldn't figure out why.

"I'm just a little tired." Joyce lied. She was a lot tired and very worried over what could have caused Spike to run out like that.

"Too bad you had Spike go up to your room. We could have finished dinner while you rested." Willow frowned, then she brightened. "You could use Buffy's room. We can do this. We did it last year."

A knock on the back door startled them all. Anya was closest so she opened it to let Giles in. "Good afternoon, everyone. There was no answer at the front door so I came back around here." He held up two bottles of wine. "I hope I'm not too early."

"No, no. You're fine." Joyce assured him. She scrubbed a handful of silverware, strictly focused on each piece.

The Watcher frowned at her distracted manner. "Joyce? Are you all right?"

"She's tired and we're trying to get her to go up to Buffy's room to take a nap because she gave her room to Spike to make up for waking him up this morning walking on a creaky floor." Anya informed him candidly.

Giles blinked at her while he tried to process the information. "Yes, of course. By all means, go up and rest. We'll finish the dinner. I'm sure you have everything under control." He decided to question the children as soon as she was safely upstairs. His main concern was why she looked so fragile.

With a jerky nod, Joyce dried her hands and left the room.

After he left the kitchen, Spike flew up the stairs, anxious to get to a private room before he lost it completely. He'd been holding onto the belief that the doctors with all of their medical advances would cure Joyce in no time. Buffy's statement had shattered that hope. He felt betrayed that Joyce hadn't told him of her fears. He forgot for a moment that she hadn't had the opportunity to tell him. He slammed the bedroom door, forgetting to lock it, and dashed into the comforting gloom of the closet. He leaned against the closed door and slid down the panel. Wrapping his arms around his legs, he shook uncontrollably. He rested his forehead against his knees and gulped deep unneeded breaths. Within seconds he lost his fight for control and the tears he'd refused to shed the night before began sliding down his lean face. Aware of the others in the house, he attempted to keep his misery soundless, biting his lip until he drew blood and shuddering in his efforts to hold in his sobs.

Silently, Joyce opened the door to her room, shut it carefully and locked it. She was shaken when her room appeared to be empty but some sixth sense told her Spike was near. She moved carefully to the bathroom. He wasn't there either. The connecting door to her walk-in closet stood ajar and she glided over to the opening. She pulled the door completely open and peeked inside. Her heart clenched when she spotted the shivering, huddled ball of despair that was her vampire. She walked in and cautiously placed her hand on his head. He stilled at her touch. She crouched down in front of him and slid her hand from the top of his head to the side of his face. He pulled away from her grasp and glared at her. She gasped at the blood dripping off his chin and the tears sliding down his cheeks.

She withdrew into the bathroom and got a damp washcloth. She returned quickly and attempted to wash the blood and tears from his lean, pale face. He closed his eyes and turned his face away from her efforts.

"What happened?" She asked quietly.

His breath hitched. He looked at her, hostility radiating from his tear-filled eyes. He began to speak but couldn't seem to form the words. She sat down fully and tried to pull him into her arms. He resisted, pulling away and huddling against the door, irate misery in every line of his thin body. She sat back and crossed her arms, suddenly defensive in the face of his anger.

"What happened?" She repeated, her tone demanding that he answer.

"Slayer said that…" He stopped as he began to shake again. He wiped angrily at a stray tear sliding down his pale cheek.

Tears of her own escaping, she tentatively stretched out her hand and caressed the back of his neck. "What did Buffy say?"

"That you thought this would be your last T-thanksgiving." He shook his head as anger made him stutter. "You d-didn't tell m-me." He spat out the accusation.

Joyce crept closer as his words sank in. She held her arms out and he finally moved into them, burying his face in her neck and shuddering in relief. "Oh, Sweetie, I'm sorry. We don't know yet if there _is_ anything wrong. But I wanted to make this a special day just in case. I wanted to give everyone a good memory. I should have said something last night, but I've sort of been in denial. I'm so sorry."

"It's ok." He whispered. He pulled back a little and swiped at the moisture on his face. He kept his head lowered, embarrassed about his breakdown, anger forgotten in light of her remorse. A thought struck him and he looked up. "Pet? Do _they_ know you're in here with me?"

She shook her head. "They think I'm napping in Buffy's room. I think we both could use that nap, can we go lay down on the bed? Much more comfortable." Joyce suggested.

He nodded but then tensed. "What about when they come up to wake you?"

"I'll set the alarm for fifteen minutes before three. That way we'll be back downstairs before they have a chance to come up." She stood up and grasped his hands. He let her pull him up and she led him to the bed. Within a few short minutes the alarm was set and she had them arranged comfortably on the queen-sized expanse. He snuggled up behind her, spooning her back to his chest. He wrapped his arm firmly around her waist. She sighed with pleasure as his cool lips caressed the nape of her neck. She let her eyes drift closed as her weariness caught up to her.

Exhausted from his emotional roller-coaster, he felt sleep tugging at him. "Do you know how much I love you?" He whispered, thinking she was already asleep.

A tiny smile curved her mouth. "Almost as much as I love you." She sighed as she succumbed to her own fatigue.

_**TBC**_


	3. Dinner

Her Last One… Dinner

Disclaimer: Escaping reality by writing fanfic is a God-given right. Besides, I don't own them just playin with em.

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**Downstairs…**

Unaware of the drama being played out upstairs, Giles faced his 'children'. "_What_ has been going _on_ here?"

Tara was the only one to even attempt an explanation. "We got here just a little while ago. I guess Mrs. Summers, Spike and Dawn had been watching the parade. The three of them came into the kitchen but Dawnie didn't stay. She went to her room. I think Mrs. Summers and Spike were washing dishes. Anyway, Xander asked if she was in a vamp thrall and Buffy said, 'No, she just likes Spike.' Then Buffy told us that her mom was afraid that this would be her last Thanksgiving and wanted to make it special. A couple of minutes after that, Spike flew through the living room and up the stairs like something was about to dust him. We came in here to find out what happened and then you came in."

Everyone gawked at the blonde witch in wonder. They had never heard her say so much at once. She ducked her head as she realized what she'd done. "S-sorry."

Willow hugged her girlfriend. "It's ok, Baby. We just didn't expect all that."

Giles removed his glasses. "Quite. Thank you, Tara. Until we can get an explanation from Spike, I suggest we attempt to finish Joyce's dinner preparations. Does anyone know what's left to be done?"

Anya walked over to the refrigerator and pulled it open. "There's quite a bit done here." She moved to the stove and opened the oven revealing a foil-topped golden brown turkey. The aroma made everyone's mouth water. "That's doing well." She stated.

Xander spotted a stack of lists fastened to the refrigerator door with a magnet. He pulled them down. "Maybe these will help." He held them out to Giles.

"Very good. Thank you, Xander." Giles replaced his glasses and took the lists. He separated the one that listed the dishes that she'd planned and set the others aside. Tara moved closer to the older man and peeked at the list in his hand.

"Can you cook?" He asked her quietly.

She nodded with a self-conscious smile. "My mother taught me."

"Oh, thank God." He breathed almost inaudibly.

She giggled. "Ok, here's what we need to do." She held her hand out for the list, which Giles surrendered willingly. "We need to compare the dishes already made against the list and figure out what else needs to be done."

Buffy pulled the refrigerator door open again. "Ok, let's hear it."

All of them working together managed in a very short amount of time to figure out what was finished, what was prepared but needed cooking and what still needed to be made. Tara was elected to oversee the remaining preparations. Buffy was put to work pealing potatoes while Willow was tasked with the job of opening cans of sweet potatoes and draining them before emptying them into a shallow baking dish. Tara showed her how to add butter, brown sugar and marshmallows to the orange vegetables. Giles discovered the dinner rolls rising under a clean dishtowel. Anya offered to set the table.

Xander and Riley were banished to the living room to watch football and stay out of the way. Giles tried to join them but his dislike of American football and his fears over the dinner being ruined kept driving him back into the kitchen.

It took over two hours and Giles was on his third glass of wine – thanking all the Gods that he'd brought two bottles – but dinner was finally ready.

**Upstairs… **

Spike woke slowly, noticing with relief that it wasn't yet time for the alarm to ring. He propped himself on an elbow and allowed himself the luxury of just gazing at Joyce while she slept. She gave a soft snuffle and wiggled closer to him. She floated back to consciousness with the realization that she was being watched. She hummed a little as she shifted over to lie on her back. She lifted sleepy eyes to see him watching her with a small contented smile on his face.

"Hi." She greeted him softly.

"Hi." He brushed a lock of silky hair back from her face.

"Are you all right?" She asked as she remembered what had happened just before they'd lain down.

He inhaled a deep unnecessary breath. "When the docs know what's wrong and get you all fixed up then I'll be great. Until then, I think I'll be a quiet wreck." He admitted with pain in his eyes.

She rolled over to face him and pulled him into a hug. They stayed there clinging to one another for long minutes until the alarm sounded, startling them apart. She sat up on the edge of the bed and looked back at him over her shoulder. He'd collapsed onto the pillow and thrown an arm over his eyes. She poked him in the ribs, knowing full well how ticklish he was.

"Hey! No fair." He yelped, glaring up at her in outrage.

"Have to get up." She stated. She grinned when he pouted.

"Don't want to; want to stay here with you." He gazed up at her with his best puppy eyes.

"Don't pull that look on me, mister. I'm immune." She turned and leaned over to kiss the pouty lower lip.

Spike sat up and ran his hands over his head to smooth his hair, grumbling as he went. "Comes from getting involved with a parent. All the best looks are wasted cause she's _immune_."

Joyce stood up and straightened her clothing, thankful she'd worn slacks for the day. Walking around to the other side of the bed, she stood there for a moment with her hands on her hips. "Are you _complaining_?"

He looked up guiltily. "No, Ma'am."

She leaned down and kissed him deeply. "I didn't think so." She went into the bathroom to freshen her makeup and comb her hair, leaving him sitting on the edge of the bed with a dazed expression on his handsome face.

She returned and handed him a comb. "I'll go down first. Want to follow in about five minutes? Bring Dawn with you if you would, please."

He could only nod, licking his lips from her kiss. She gave a satisfied smile as she unlocked the door and left her room.

She gasped in delight when she saw the dining room table. They had obviously located the extra leaves for it and had set it with her best linen, china, crystal and silverware. Candles waited ready to be lit in the center and the overhead light had been dimmed in anticipation of the flicker of the tapers. She could hear the others talking in the kitchen and she braced herself for the disaster area she knew she'd find. Past experience of her eldest daughter's cooking had made her wary of entering the room.

Joyce cautiously peeked around the corner into her kitchen, pleased to see it in relatively good order. Obviously someone had taken charge and ensured things stayed in control, privately she put her money on Tara.

Anya noticed her hovering in the doorway. "Mrs. Summers! Dinner is ready. All we have to do is serve it. I hope we finished your preparations all right. We want to help make today special." She stopped when Xander gave her a warning frown.

"Well, the table looks wonderful." Joyce assured the ex-demon.

Anya beamed. "I did that. I'm so happy you like it."

Giles turned from the sink where he'd been washing some of the dishes. "How are you feeling, Joyce?"

She smiled, watching him dry his hands on a dishtowel. That was a sight she'd never thought she'd see. "I'm much better. I don't know what came over me. I suppose I just tried to do too much. I keep forgetting that Buffy is old enough to help me with the cooking."

"Yes, well…" Giles trailed off at the glare his slayer directed toward him. "Would you like a glass of wine?" He said instead.

Joyce smiled. "Yes, please." She accepted the glass he held out. "Has anyone gone up to wake Spike?"

"I'm here." Spike said as he entered the kitchen. "Could do with one of those if you don't mind, Watcher." He indicated the glass of wine in Joyce's hand.

He accepted the glass Giles handed him. "Thanks, Mate."

Joyce took a long sip of her drink and used the opportunity to study Spike's face for signs of his earlier distress. To her relief, the Big Bad was firmly in place. Only someone very familiar with him would notice the occasional glimmer of anxiety in his sapphire gaze.

Dawn bounced into the room. "I'm hungry, when's dinner?" She demanded.

Xander held out a dish filled with cranberry sauce. "Right now, take this to the table." He directed.

The teenager stuck her tongue out at him but obediently took the dish. The others grabbed various dishes and joined the youngest Summers in the dining room. In no time they had everything in place. Spike lit the candles with his Zippo.

Joyce stood at the head of the table and directed where she wanted everyone to sit. She had Buffy sitting on her left with Spike opposite the slayer at her right. She'd planned that knowing that Spike was left-handed, it ensured his left side was obstacle free. Dawn sat next to Spike with Xander next to her. Anya completed that side of the table. Giles was at the opposite end from Joyce, the turkey in front of him for carving. Next to Buffy was Riley with Willow beside him. Tara sat on the other side of Willow.

"Well, it looks like you all did a wonderful job of finishing for me." Joyce observed as she took her seat.

"Your list made it easy. Most of the work was already done." Tara told her.

"I think it all looks amazing." Spike said. His foot, hidden under the table, nudged Joyce's.

Dawn looked over all the mouth-watering dishes in front of her. "Are we gonna say 'Grace' or will Spike spontaneously combust if we do?"

Spike burst into delighted laughter at her ingenuous question. "No, Bit. I won't combust. Go ahead with your prayers. Just don't expect me to join in, yeah?"

Joyce slipped her foot out of her shoe and slid her bare toes up to rest on Spike's shin. With a short nod toward everyone, she watched as everyone but Spike closed their eyes. With a quick wink at her vampire, she closed her eyes as well and led the humans in a short prayer.

Spike took the opportunity to gaze at her, love for her filling his unbeating heart. He didn't pray but he did pause for a moment to reflect on how thankful he was to have found her.

No one thought it odd that Giles was given the honor of carving the turkey. He filled two platters with the succulent meat before moving the remainder to the sideboard. Soon, everyone had full plates and was enjoying the wonderful meal. By unspoken agreement, no one rushed in their eating, intent on enjoying every bite.

Xander pointed his knife at a dish. "What's that?"

Spike helped himself to a sausage and held the plate up to be passed. "Blood sausage and it smells delicious. Pass this to Rupert, please."

Giles smiled as the dish was given to him just as full as it had been when it had left Spike's hand. "Didn't anyone else want any?"

A chorus of 'No's' answered him. Spike sneered. "Your loss." He took a bite of the sausage and closed his eyes as the spices exploded on his taste buds. A low moan escaped before he could stop it. A look of complete bliss appeared on his face. He chewed slowly before he swallowed. "That is ambrosia." He declared.

Joyce beamed. "Giles gave me the recipe." She admitted, happy the dish had turned out all right.

"Rupes, I'm hurt. You had this recipe all along and didn't make me any?" Spike sent a teasing glare at the elder Brit.

"I didn't like you enough to go to the trouble. That recipe has been in my family for generations and is saved for special occasions." Giles told the vampire tartly.

The meal continued in peace with only the clink of silverware on china and the low murmur of conversation filling the room. Under cover of the table, Joyce kept her bare toes on Spike's shin, sending a warm glow of happiness through his cool body.

During a rare lull in conversation, Dawn looked over at Giles. "What did you do with the wishbone?"

He swallowed his bite of dressing in surprise. "It's on the platter with the turkey, why?"

"I want it." She chirped.

"No _way_!" Buffy shrieked. "It's mine."

Dawn shook her head decisively. "You had it last year. It's my turn."

"You weren't here last year. You were with Mom. And last year it was my turkey and my wishbone. I still get this one." Buffy turned pleading eyes to her mother. "Mom, tell her the wishbone is mine."

Joyce shook her head. "I'm staying out of it." She declared.

Spike listened with a frown as the sisters continued squabbling over the tiny bit of bone. His concerned blue eyes were focused on Joyce, noting the pallor that stole over her lovely face as the argument escalated. Everyone else studiously paid attention to their meals hoping to stay out of the line of fire.

His stern voice sliced through the shrill tones of the warring sisters. "That's _enough_! Why don't you let your Mum have it this year, yeah?"

The spat stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Both girls turned guilty eyes toward their mother. "We're sorry." They apologized in unison.

"You can have it Mom." Dawn told her in a tiny voice.

"Yeah, Mom." Buffy agreed.

"Thank you both. That's very nice of you." Joyce gave them a small smile. Under the table, she rubbed Spike's leg in gratitude. He nudged her other foot with his in acknowledgment.

All too soon, everyone was groaning about how full they were. Compliments were passed around to everyone who'd had a hand in preparing the meal. Joyce stood up to begin clearing the table. Riley placed a hand on her arm, halting her movements. No one noticed the quick flash of gold in Spike's eyes before he controlled his temper.

"How about you let me, Xander and Dawn do the dishes?" The former soldier offered.

Joyce looked at her antique china and expensive crystal. "Well, I don't know." She said hesitantly.

Tara spoke up. "Willow and I will help." She assured the older woman.

Joyce smiled in relief. "Thank you." She accepted.

The others moved into the living room to watch television. None of them admitted to it but they waited for the sound of breaking dishes. With five of them working on it, the task of cleaning up was accomplished in record time. It would forever remain a secret that Xander almost broke Joyce's great-great-grandmother's gravy boat. Tara saved it with a quick levitation spell.

Spike sat in a chair away from the others, tense now that dinner was over and he no longer had an excuse to sit next to Joyce. He listened with little interest to Giles and Buffy discussing ways to get around the column of smoke that still surrounded the high school. An overwhelming urge for a cigarette drove him outside. He was happy to see that the sun had set although it wasn't completely dark yet. By the time he returned to the living room, the clean up crew had finished.

The Scoobies hadn't made any progress on figuring out the cloud of smoke surrounding the Hellmouth. Finally, Spike got tired of listening to them speculating wildly about it. He got his duster and shrugged into it.

"All right, then. Everyone, get your coats. We're going to go take care of it now." He directed.

Giles narrowed his eyes on the blond vampire suspiciously. "You _do_ know what it is, don't you?"

Spike paused in his task of helping Joyce put on her coat. "I don't know _what_ it is but I know how to get rid of it. _And_ I think I know who put it there. If I'm right, I need the slayer to promise she'll let me handle it."

Buffy noticed that her mom and sister were preparing to go with them. "Mom? What are you doing?"

Joyce blinked. "Putting on my coat like Spike said."

"You are sooo not going with us!" The slayer declared.

"It's ok." Spike assured her. "There's nothing dangerous. I thought Joyce and the Bit would like to see a little of what you do to keep this place safe." He turned to Dawn. "Niblet, would you go get your boom box, please?"

Dawn nodded and raced up the stairs. Spike moved over to the cd collection in the living room. "Joyce, where did you put… oh, never mind, I've got it." He pulled a cd out of the rack and slid it into his pocket.

Dawn came back and handed her portable stereo to Riley. "Um, thanks. I think." He stuttered.

Spike smirked. "Ok, everyone figure out who you're riding with and let's get this over and done."

Giles glared at the suddenly over-helpful vampire. "You're riding with me." He said through gritted teeth.

"Then you're riding with Joyce." Spike grinned. "Cause I'm riding with her and the Bit."

"Fine, then." Giles agreed with a snarl.

Divided into three cars, the group made their way quickly to the high school. The still-working parking lot lights illuminated the scene the same way they had the night before. The column of smoke appeared to be as thick and impenetrable as before. Everyone gathered into a close huddle against the chilly breeze that had sprung up during the day.

Spike clapped his hands for attention. "Right, then. Time for a little history lesson. Rupert, pay close attention. What I'm about to tell you should be in one of your old watcher diaries from about 70 years ago." He looked around at the varied expressions on the faces of his audience. Buffy and Riley looked outright hostile. Xander and Anya appeared bored. Giles looked interested but annoyed that he was. Joyce and Dawn were hanging on his every word. Willow and Tara just looked puzzled.

He took a deep unnecessary breath and went almost unconsciously into 'lecture mode'. It was something few people, or demons for that matter, were ever allowed to witness. "As I said, it was about 70 years ago in Europe. Dru and I were hanging around the Hellmouth that's just outside Paris. You did know about that one, eh, Rupert?" He paused for Giles' nod. "Good. A rumor got started that there was a column of smoke around the Hellmouth and that no one could get by it. They tried everything available at the time but couldn't make it go away."

He smiled as his memories became clearer. His voice grew softer. "You all know that my Dru is a seer. Therefore, she knows things. I'm just about the only being that can make heads or tails out of most of the stuff she spouts. She gave the watcher that was documenting all the goings on all kinds of cryptic little bits. Confused the hell out of the poor bloke but he wrote down every word. She thought about eating him but decided he had to stick around to be able to pass on what she'd said. As it turned out the way to get rid of the barrier was for someone to dance. It had to be a couple and it had to be the _right_ couple. It was early enough in the evening that there were several couples around and they all gave it a shot but nothing happened. They weren't the _right_ couple. Dru watched it all with real glee when they all failed. Then she did something unexpected. She pulled me into her arms and made us start dancing. Apparently we _were_ the right couple because the smoke went away in no time. I never could figure out what made it work for us when no one else could do it but Dru just clapped her hands and watched the rest of the show. It seemed that a couple of demons from another dimension had gotten ahold of a book of spells. The problem was that the book was full of trick spells. That means that any spell they used out of the book backfired on them. I made them promise to put the book away and stay in their own dimension. They're a peaceful lot, just wanted something like a vacation getaway."

He turned from his speechless audience to survey the barrier. "Slayer, I want you to promise that you will let me handle whoever it was that cast the spell." She gave a reluctant nod.

"How do we decide who the right couple is?" Dawn asked, looking at all the different couples standing around.

"Well, we have to do it like they did back then. Just let everyone have a go at it and hope we get lucky." Spike answered her as he looked over the small group gathered around. "Who wants to go first?"

Buffy grabbed Riley's hand and pulled him forward. "We will."

Spike nodded and took the stereo from Xander. He set it on the pavement and inserted the cd. The slow strands of a waltz flowed from the speakers.

Buffy sent Spike an incredulous look. "You have got to be kidding."

Spike shook his head with a smirk. "Nope. Go on then, show us what you've got."

Riley pulled Buffy into his arms and started a slow, awkward approximation of a waltz. They danced for all of thirty seconds before giving up and standing back to survey the smoke. It was as dense as before. Buffy pouted and kicked at the pavement.

Xander shrugged and pulled Anya forward. He wrapped his arms around her and started shuffling his feet, not even attempting a waltz. Spike snorted, not in the least surprised when the cloud remained stubbornly thick.

"Right, then. There weren't any same sex couples, at least not publicly, back in the day but I guess it wouldn't hurt for you witches to give it a go." Spike waved his hand at Willow and Tara, motioning them forward for their shot.

They did a little better than Xander and Anya in that they at least looked as if they were waltzing but the column was still unmovable.

Giles watched the younger members of the team try and fail. He wondered just what the right couple needed to bring the barrier down. He approached Joyce tentatively. "May I have this dance?" He was puzzled when she glanced at Spike before nodding and placing her fingers in his.

Spike restarted the waltz and gritted his teeth as Joyce moved into Rupert's arms. He kept his gaze lowered because he just _knew_ that gold was flickering through the blue. They moved fluidly as they danced in time with the lilting music. The Scoobies clapped when they finished their short dance but the smoke was as impenetrable as ever.

The strands of the waltz faded away as they all looked at the barrier in silence. "Well, that's it then." Xander said. "I guess you're wrong, Fangless. Back to the books for all of us." He moved to pick up the stereo.

"_Wait_!" Dawn exclaimed. "Let Mom and Spike try."

"_No_!" Buffy moved to stand between her mother and Spike. "Over my dead body."

"Nothing I'd like better, Slayer, but I think you should let your mum decide who she wants to dance with." Spike turned away and lit a cigarette to hide his shaky hands.

"Well, what could it hurt?" Joyce asked quietly. "Dawn, start it over." She walked over to stand in front of Spike. "May I have this dance?"

_**TBC**_


	4. Dance

Her Last One… Dance

Disclaimer: If I owned them….

Reviews: Yes please. Readers Rock but Reviewers RULE!

A/N: I realize that this pairing isn't to everyone's taste so I'll forgive the disappointing reviews. I'm truly happy that some of you have given this fic a chance and read it. Hope you're not too unhappy with the next couple of chapters. There's only one left after this one and the contest rules will be included after the end of chapter five.

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Spike gazed into her hazel eyes for a few tense seconds. "Yes, Ma'am." He tossed the cigarette down and held out his hand. He led her over to stand near the steps of the ruined building and placed his hand on her waist. She put her hand gently on his shoulder and he clasped their other hands together in a classic waltz position. As the music swelled, they began to sway. All his enforced dancing lessons came flooding back as he held her warm body in his arms. He forgot that the others were watching as he got lost in her loving gaze.

Joyce felt lighter than air as he led her into the classic steps of the dance. His grip was firm and she felt more secure than she'd ever felt in her life. It was easy to pretend they were alone as she gazed up into his sapphire eyes. Unconsciously, she let her feelings show in her face as they slowly spun around. He pulled her closer in response to the loving expression on her beautiful features as his own feelings were reflected on his handsome face.

The watching humans were stunned. Dawn sank down onto the pavement with her arms wrapped around herself. Her face had an expression of glee as she watched her mom dance in Spike's arms.

Buffy's face resembled a thundercloud. She seethed as Riley grasped her arm to hold her back. He could tell that she was mere seconds away from dusting the blond vampire.

Anya gave a happy sigh. "Aren't they sweet together?" She whispered to Xander.

"_What_? _No_!" He protested. "No sweetness between the Mom and the evil undead thing."

Giles frowned and vowed to look up the Watcher's diary that Spike had mentioned. There had to be something more than just having the _right_ _couple_. It could not be a coincidence that Spike would be part of the couple that brought the barrier down in both instances. He watched as they moved gracefully to the music and saw that behind them the barrier was indeed dissipating.

Willow couldn't stop the tears from springing to her eyes when she saw the expression on Mrs. Summers' face. She'd never seen the older woman look so happy. Tara watched them dancing, wondering why she hadn't seen the way their auras matched before now. They were truly beautiful together and the blonde witch hoped with all her heart that the others wouldn't make things difficult for them.

The music slowed and stopped. Spike brought the dance to an end and glanced over his shoulder. "Barrier's down, Luv." He murmured.

She took a look and smiled gently. "So it is."

He let her out of his embrace but grabbed her hand. "Let's go." He'd listened and had caught the sound of laughter in the halls of the old high school. They heard Buffy shriek and Giles voice his own protest as they ran into the building. He stopped and listened for a moment. "This way."

The others followed what they thought was an insane vampire and his hostage. Riley and Buffy took the lead with their stakes ready. Giles was close behind with the others following.

Spike and Joyce stopped just outside the principal's office which was relatively undamaged. They could see a bright white glow casting its light into the hallway. "Come on out. I know you're in here." He called. Giggles answered his summons.

"They sound like little kids." Joyce whispered.

Spike chuckled. "They _are_ little kids. Little demon kids." He told her. He pointed to the end of the hall. "Look."

They saw the little demons responsible for the barrier. They were about three feet tall. They had light blue skin with bright white hair. The taller one's hair reached to just past the back of the ears, the smaller one's hair was a smooth fall to the shoulders. Their eyes were dark purple and large for their small faces. Their ears were pointed and set close to their heads and they wore what looked like robes. Their tiny faces lit up with pleasure when they spotted Spike.

They ran full tilt at the vampire and nearly knocked him over in their rush to be first to give him a hug. The little demons giggled insanely as they climbed all over the laughing vampire.

Joyce laughed in delight over the adorable little creatures. She watched as Spike made them get off and stand back. He crouched down to eye level and tried to give them a stern look. Giles, Buffy and the others came into the hall and stopped at the unexpected sight that greeted them.

The taller of the two by a whopping two inches raised his hand and touched Spike's platinum hair. "Sssspike, you hair almosssst like ourssss." He giggled.

"So it is." The vampire agreed. "Where are your parents?"

The smaller one jumped up and down to get attention. "Where Drussssilla?" She lisped.

Spike ducked his head and counted to ten. "She's not here. Now, tell me where your parents are or I'll have to take drastic measures."

The children huddled together whispering for a minute before turning back to Spike. "Drasssstic meassssuressss." They chorused.

"So that's the way you want to do it, yeah?" Spike vamped out and used vampire speed to capture a demon under each arm. He held the younger one out for Joyce to take. "Hold this for me, Luv." She knelt down and gently grasped the wiggly demon around the waist.

"Are you going to talk?" He asked his captive. A vigorous head shake was his answer. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Shrieks filled the air as he began tickling the tiny demon.

Joyce cuddled her captive. "I think you should talk, unless you want the same treatment." She warned.

The little female giggled. "Ssssame treatment, pleasssse. Like Sssspike torture."

A deep rumbling voice called out from the principal's office. "Reekee! Tennon! Where you?"

Spike paused in his torture. "Here, Rygar!" He called. "Yup, you're in for it now." He told the wiggling bundle in his arms.

A demon, fully seven feet in height, entered the hallway. He looked like a giant economy size version of Spike's little friends. He tensed as he spotted the group of humans there. "Sssslayer." He hissed.

Spike stood with his captive hanging upside down. "Rygar, over here. Think I found something of yours."

The demon turned and spotted his offspring being held captive by the game-faced vampire. "Sssspike." He said. "How long ssssince lasssst time?"

"About seventy years here, Mate. How long has it been where you are? The bits don't look much bigger than they did then." He flipped the child over his shoulder so he could shake hands with his old friend. Tiny hands gripped the front of Spike's duster to keep his balance. Giggles continued to spill from the little ones.

"Only two yearssss." Rygar rumbled. "Hid book, but littlessss found. Opened portal to find playground. Giving 'Ssssspike torture'?" He smiled, revealing sharp teeth.

"Have to get them to talk somehow." Spike shrugged, the child on his shoulder wobbled causing him to giggle harder. He shifted out of his demon visage.

The huge demon looked over at Joyce who still held the smaller child in her loose grasp. "Reekee, get torture yet?" He asked his daughter. She shook her head vigorously.

"Pretty hold, wait turn." She giggled.

Rygar nodded wisely. "Ssssspike lady pretty. Tennon, let go Ssssspike, let Reekee take turn."

Spike twirled his captive in the air. "You heard your Dad, Mite. Let your sister come get her punishment." He handed the boy to his father and motioned for Joyce to hand him her little prisoner.

Her high pitched giggles echoed throughout the ruined building as Spike administered his particular brand of torture on the tiny body. He made sure he spent the exact same amount of time on the girl that he had on the boy. When he was finished he lifted her up and somersaulted her through the air to her dad. The large demon caught her effortlessly. He turned to his son standing nearby. "Tennon, go get book. Give Ssssspike. No make portal."

With a sulky look, the little boy ran off toward the abandoned office. He was back in a few short minutes with an ancient book clasped tightly in his small hands. He slowed as he neared Spike. With a frown, he looked up at the vampire. "No book? No portal? No playground?"

Spike crouched in front of the upset child. "No, Tennon. I'm sorry. Your parents promised that _that_ portal would never be opened again. You and your sister broke that promise. I need to keep the book now. Maybe I can open the portal from this side and come visit like Dru and I did last time, yeah?"

The children began jumping in excitement. "Ssssoon, Ssssspike? Vissssit ssssoon?"

"I'll do my best." Spike solemnly promised.

Rygar looked around at the staring humans. "You friendssss Sssslayer? Friendssss other humanssss?"

"Yeah, I'm kinda friends with the slayer." Spike scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Don't spread it around. Ok, Mate?"

Rygar nodded, his face serious. "No blame. Bad for reputation."

The vampire chuckled at the outrage on some of the faces of the humans. "Right, bad for my rep."

Rygar looked at Joyce again. "Sssspike lady pretty. Good match."

Joyce was too bemused to answer but she allowed the large blue demon to take hold of her hand and bring it up to his face. A cool, gentle touch and the hand was released. She couldn't help but be utterly charmed by the gesture.

"Sssspike lady no sssscared. Very good." Rygar told Spike. "We go now, time dinner. Mother wait." He motioned to his children. "Reekee, Tennon, ssssay bye Sssspike, Sssspike lady."

The little ones clambered up Spike's legs in their eagerness to give him their goodbye hugs. The vampire motioned for Giles to come forward and take the book. The Watcher did so with curious caution. Then Spike allowed the children to drag him down to the floor for one more wrestle before they had to leave. All too soon, they were giving him one last hug around the neck.

"Bye Sssspike!" Reekee said, landing a smacking kiss on his cheek.

"Bye Sssspike!" Tennon backed up and stuck his hand out as if he were a lot older. Spike shook the tiny hand gravely, struggling to hold back a grin.

Reekee scampered over to Joyce and tugged at her hand, pulling her down. "Bye Sssspike lady!" She gave Joyce a smacking kiss on the cheek.

Tennon turned his attention to Joyce next. He held his hand out manfully. Joyce took it. "What, no kiss?" She asked daringly.

Tennon grinned, showing a miniature mouthful of teeth. He nodded emphatically. "Yessss, kissssss pretty Sssspike lady." He pulled her hand so that she leaned down and presented her cheek. He smooched it loudly and backed away, suddenly bashful.

Rygar gave each of his kids a light swat on their butts. They scrambled toward the principal's office waving as they ran. The large demon held his hand out to Spike. "Bye Sssspike. Ssssorry littlessss causssse problem."

"It's ok, Mate. No harm done. I've got the book now. Just tell the little ones I'll be around to visit in a while. Have things to deal with here but I'll try to make it soon." Spike shook hands with his friend.

Rygar turned to Joyce. "Pretty Sssspike lady, good meet you. Take good care Sssspike. Sssspike take good care you." The huge demon turned and left without acknowledging the other humans in the hallway. A few minutes later the bright light in the principal's office winked out.

There was complete silence for long minutes and then the babble broke out. Spike winced when the combined sounds reached his sensitive ears. He could see Giles trying to clean his glasses while holding onto the ancient spell book Tennon had returned. A litany of 'Dear Lords' spilled from the Watcher's mouth. Anya stood gaping. Spike knew that _she_ knew just _who_ and _what_ Rygar was. He couldn't prevent the smirk that he sent her way. Willow and Xander were next to each other trying to outdo each other with their useless questions and Tara was just watching it all with amusement in her large smoky blue eyes.

He noticed with a subsonic growl that Buffy and Riley had managed to maneuver Joyce away and were checking her for injuries. He snorted. As if he'd _hurt_ the lady or even put her into _danger_ for that matter. With a surprised 'Ooommmf' he staggered when Dawn jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. His attention had been so focused on the Slayer and her puppet that he hadn't noticed the teenager running up to him.

"Those little guys were _sooo_ _cute_!" Dawn squealed. "What were they? Can they come back? Wish I could have played with them!"

Giles walked up to them while Spike was trying to de-cling Dawn. He succeeded in prying her arms from around his neck and stood her on her own two feet. He allowed his gaze to meet the Watcher's censorious stare.

"You have some explaining to do." Giles said seriously.

Spike nodded. "Fair enough but let's get out of here and back to the Slayer's place, yeah? Could go for a slice of pie and some coffee."

Joyce decided she'd had enough inspection and put her fists on her hips. Giving Buffy her best 'Mom' glare, she warned the couple to back off.

"That will be _enough_!" She declared. "You saw for yourself that those babies couldn't have hurt a fly. So this…" She waved her hand. "Whatever this is you think you're doing. Just stop."

Buffy and Riley just stared at her, shocked that she'd attack them that way. They were only trying to help. That big demon could have done _anything_ while he'd had her hand in his.

"But, Mom, what about the big one? He did have your hand, did he hurt it? What did he do?" Buffy grabbed her mother's hand and pulled it up to inspect it.

Joyce pulled her hand back sharply, irritated beyond subtlety. "He _kissed_ it." She waved the hand in question under her daughter's nose for a couple of seconds. "See? Just fine." She looked up as Spike, Giles and Dawn approached. She looked at Spike. "I'm ready to go home."

As they walked back up the hallway where Xander, Anya, Tara and Willow waited, Joyce shifted around so she was walking next to Spike. She slipped her hand into his. A slight tug on her part and they were a little behind the others. Tara gave them a serene smile when she noticed what Joyce had done. Willow glanced at her lover in puzzlement about the tiny smile. The blonde witch merely shrugged. The redhead glanced back wondering what Tara had found amusing in time to see Spike bend his head to listen to Joyce and then laugh at her comment. Willow watched as Spike brought his free hand up to gently brush a strand of hair from her face. The tenderness of the scene made the witch's heart melt. She looked around to see if any of the others had witnessed the interchange but they were all intent on getting to the cars and getting home.

_**TBC**_


	5. Secret

Her Last One… Secret

Disclaimer: Still not mine, still fun to play with.

Reviews: Yes please. Readers Rock but Reviewers RULE!

A/N: A huge **_THANK YOU_** goes out to everyone whose loyalty to my insanity prompted them to check this story out and to all those brave enough to review this unique concept. I'm glad you all liked it.

It was brought to my attention that after chapter one I forgot to thank my wonderful friend and helper WayWard Childe. I'm so sorry for the oversight Childe. You help me so much. Letting me bounce ideas off your head, telling me when something's out of character and pointing out little mistakes. Without your input some of my stuff would be unreadable babbling. I'd like to point out to everyone that WayWard is an incredibly imaginative author and you should all go read his work. Hugs and smooches to you Partner.

This is the last chapter of this little fic. Hope you enjoyed it. It's a different pairing than most people are used to but I think it worked well. As promised, the contest requirements are listed at the end of this chapter. It was interesting getting all the components in and believable.

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For the most part, it was a silent trip back to the house on Revello Drive. Joyce immediately went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, heating a package of blood for Spike while she was at it. She called him into the kitchen.

She held the mug up to him. "Here. You haven't had any since this morning. It's been a long day." She began to set up a tray.

Spike gulped down the nourishment and risked a glance at the seemingly seething woman. "Thanks, Luv. Um… Are you mad at me?"

Joyce paused with the refrigerator door halfway open. She looked at him in shock. "_What_? _No_! Why ever would I be mad at _you_?"

Spike shrugged, still uncertain. "You just seem angry is all." He explained.

She pulled the cream out of the refrigerator and placed it on the tray. She added the sugar bowl and thought for a few more minutes. They were just about the longest minutes of Spike's unlife. Finally, she looked at him again.

"I'm angry about the way Rupert and the Council teach Slayers that demon equals evil and must be killed. I'm angry that the Initiative had the same mentality and that it led to the chip in your head." She saw he was about to speak and held up her hand.

"Yes, I _know_ that without the chip you wouldn't have slowed down enough for your better qualities to come out and _we_ would never have happened. For that I _am_ grateful. But it's still an intensely cruel thing to do, to take away your ability to feed and defend yourself against even the smallest human. That's unfair. Besides, I could tell you were different when you helped Buffy defeat Angel." She moved closer to him and took his empty mug, placing it on the counter behind him. She slid her arms around his waist and leaned against his chest. "I'm angry that Buffy automatically assumed that Rygar had harmed me."

He nodded his understanding as he hugged her. "Well, class is about to be in session, wanna be my teacher's aide?"

She chuckled. "I'd rather be the teacher's pet."

"You already are, Luv." He kissed her forehead and released her. "Dare I hope that one of those lovely pies is mincemeat?" She nodded.

He grinned. "Damn, I've got good taste in women!"

In just a few minutes, everyone was settled at the dining table with coffee, milk in Dawn's case, and a hefty slice of pie. They ate in silence for only a couple of minutes before Anya couldn't contain her curiosity any longer.

"Spike, how did you do it? How did you meet and become friends with Rygar?" She asked.

Spike smirked. "It was Rygar who used the spell book seventy years ago. He and his brother were trying to find a nice vacation place for their families. The humans in this dimension made that impossible. They couldn't allow themselves to believe that anyone who looks like that could possibly be peaceful. I take it you know who he is, then?"

Giles spoke up. "I'd like to know who he is. I think I've seen pictures of demons like that but can't remember right now what kind they are."

"Rygar is a Tal-reh demon. In fact, he's the leader of their species. He rules the dimension they live in. What I don't understand is why they needed the book for the portal. I know that Tal-reh demons can inter-dimensionally travel." Anya answered before Spike could.

"They didn't need the book for the portal. Rygar can go anywhere he wants but his reception in this dimension has been less than friendly so he stays pretty close to home anymore. In fact, he put a ban on travel to this dimension throughout his entire species. The spell puts the barrier _with_ the portal, it's supposed to be a protection spell keeping the travelers safe from intruders but, as I said, it's a trick spell book so the consequences for spells out of that book are never deadly, just not what you expect. Rupert, I would suggest you put the thing under lock and key." Spike explained.

"But how are you going to go visit them if the spell doesn't work right?" Dawn asked.

Spike smiled down at her. "I have my ways." He said with a wink.

"What did Rygar do to humans to make them hostile toward him and his brother?" Buffy asked.

Spike frowned. "Why would you automatically assume they did anything? Humans decided that just because they're big and blue and don't fit into a neat little slot that they're automatically dangerous and evil. Lesson the first, Slayer, Farmboy, is this. Just because you don't like the way something looks, you can't just decide they're evil and have to be killed. What if the government decided that all redheads were children of Satan and had to be destroyed? Would you just turn around and put your sword through Red?"

Buffy sputtered. "N-no! Of course not! That would be insane."

Riley turned red in the face. "That's not fair and you know it."

Spike nodded. "Ok, here's one I know the Watcher will recognize." He held his left hand up. With his right hand, using the tines of his fork, he traced fine silvery scars on his knuckles. "See these? I'll bet Rupert knows what caused them."

Giles paled. He nodded hesitantly.

"Go on then, tell the class." Spike encouraged. "You know they won't believe _me_."

The Watcher took a bracing sip of coffee, wishing he had something stronger. He knew where Spike's 'lesson' was headed and although it went against everything he'd been taught at the Watcher's Academy, the vampire had a very valid point. "The scars on Spike's left hand are the result of a misguided theory held by the Catholic Church and certain public schools that left-handed children were the spawn of the devil. They believed that those children had to be 'converted' into being right-handed to get them back into the good graces of God. Unfortunately that theory is still in use in some of the older schools."

"But that doesn't explain the scars." Xander protested. Several people at the table rolled their eyes at him.

"Who wants to tell the Whelp how I got the scars?" Spike asked, using his best 'teacher' voice.

Willow hesitantly held up her hand. Spike nodded with a smirk. "My older cousin married a Catholic guy who's left-handed. He's got the same scars. The nuns at his school used a metal ruler on his knuckles whenever they caught him writing with his left hand."

"Go to the head of the class, Red." Spike said. "Here endeth the lesson."

Joyce picked up the scarred hand that Spike had put back on the table beside his plate. "How old were you?" She murmured.

"Pet, it was a long time ago." He shook his head. Her hazel eyes flashed up at him.

"_How_ _old_?" She repeated fiercely.

Spike ducked his platinum head, suddenly wishing he hadn't used the analogy. "Six."

There were gasps from most of the females and muttered curses from at least one male. "My mum pulled me out that school in less than a week. It never happened again." Spike hastened to add. She hadn't, it had been what Americans call a boarding school and she hadn't found out until Christmas break, but _they_ didn't have to know that. The expression on Giles' face, though, told Spike the lie hadn't worked on _him_.

A sweeping inspection of the faces around the table told Spike that while he'd managed to get his point across, it would take a lot more to convince Buffy, Riley, Giles and Xander. He decided to let it drop, hoping he would continue to avoid the staking he knew the foursome wanted to administer.

Spike finished his pie in silence and stood up. Joyce stared up at him in surprise. "Pet, it was a wonderful dinner and I had a lovely time. But I've imposed enough. Time for me to go home."

Joyce stood up with a look at the others that dared any of them to object. "I'll see you out."

She followed him out to the front porch. She watched as he shrugged into his duster. "It's cold out, Luv." Spike gazed at her in concern.

"I'm fine. Give me my good-bye kiss." She slipped her arms around his waist and raised her face.

"Thank God I love bossy women." Spike sighed as he obeyed.

After a long hug, she pulled away. "Now that they know, don't stay away." She pleaded.

"I won't. I promise." Spike pulled her back into his arms and breathed the promise into her ear.

She nodded and turned to go back into the house. "Be careful." She told him softly. He nodded and left because he couldn't trust himself to say anything else. If he did, he'd be on bended knee begging to be allowed to live in the basement.

**An hour later, Giles' apartment…**

Rupert let himself into his home with a heartfelt sigh of relief. It had been a very long day. He glanced down at the spell book and noticed the title for the first time. Shock flooded his face when he realized he was holding something believed to have been lost centuries ago. It was a book historians believed that if it had in fact existed it had belonged to Merlin. It had been long rumored that the greatest wizard in history had grown tired of lesser magically inclined beings attempting to steal his secrets and had written a spell book designed to cause the intentions of the spell-caster to backfire upon themselves. The book Rupert held in his hand was beyond price and it had been in the hands of _children_.

With a shudder over what might have happened, he carefully placed the book in his safe. Moving to the bookshelf dedicated to old Watcher's diaries, he searched for the one from seventy years ago. He knew he had a copy of that one as he used it for research comparing the Hellmouth in Paris with the one in California.

A glass of Scotch in one hand and the diary in the other, he settled into his favorite chair to search for the part of the book that covered the events Spike had told about. It took just over half an hour but he found it.

'_**An impossible cloud of smoke has encircled the building housing the Hellmouth. All attempts to dispel it have failed. A goodly number of demons have gathered to witness the phenomenon. My slayer has given up trying to take on the demons and has gone into hiding until something could be done about the smoke.'**_

Giles snorted at the spinelessness of that long dead slayer. He read on.

'**_A mysterious woman who has given her name as Drusilla approached me with the most outrageous suggestions. Her companion who refused to reveal his name but was referred to by Drusilla as 'her sweet boy' told me to make sure I wrote down every word she said or, as he put it, 'I might not live to regret it'. I fear that the couple may be vampires but without my slayer, I hesitate to confront them.'_**

Another snort and a "Cowardly wanker" slipped out before he took another sip of his drink.

'**_She gave me these phrases to write down. They make no sense to me but I will record them and continue to monitor the situation. _**

"**_Play the music soft and slow. Couples dance but to no avail. Column of smoke thick and dark, you can't go through it, you can't go under or around it. Only the right couple shall make the smoke go away. They must love truly and honestly, fated to be together for as long as destiny decrees. Their time may be a century or a few short months, but their hearts will know each other. The dark knight whose love is as pure as the stars will lead his fair lady in the dance and the smoke will waft away in the wind."_**

**_At her direction, the local couples all took their turns dancing in front of the smoke but none were successful. Drusilla pulled her companion into her arms and they danced. It seems they were apparently the right couple for the task as the smoke dissipated and drifted away. The vampire couple disappeared into the building and no one saw them in the area again.' _**

Very carefully, Giles put his glass on the coffee table. What had seemed like aimless rambling to the long-ago watcher made distressing sense to the current one. A chill settled deep in his stomach as he re-read Drusilla's words. _'a few short months, but their hearts will know each other.'_ If the diary was to be believed, then Spike and Joyce would only have a few months together. He picked up his glass and swallowed the rest of his drink. With deliberate movements, he got up and refilled his glass. He sat and stared at the old diary for a very long time. When he was done thinking through all the possible courses of action he had at his disposal, he made one of the most difficult decisions in his life. He would do _nothing_. He rose from his chair and picked up the journal. It joined Merlin's lost text in the safe where none of the children could find it and read it. He knew they would be curious about Drusilla's 'cryptic little bits' and he planned to tell them he no longer had that particular watcher's diary. None of them would be allowed to know what he'd found. It was the hardest secret he would _ever_ decide to keep.

_**Finis**_

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A/N: Here are the story guidelines contestants had to work with. It definitely was a challenge!

**A FEW STORY REQUIREMENTS**:

1. Story takes place round the Thanksgiving Holiday  
2. NO AU fiction (meaning all human, not canon)  
3. 1000 word minimum no limit but MUST be complete  
4. Spike and any female pairing  
5. Genres may include humor, romance, dark  
6. Fiction must be new original work and may not  
have been posted anywhere prior to the contest.  
7. Fiction may be set in any season of BTVS  
and Season 5 of ATS.

**STORY MUST INCLUDE AT LEAST FIVE OF THE FOLLOWING**:

1. Blood sausage for Spike's Thanksgiving meal  
2. Spike and Dawn watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day  
parade together and engage in running commentary and  
critiquing of the performers and floats  
3. Xander announces that he's in love with a demon  
and wants to have his children  
4. Sunnydale High becomes surrounded by a cylinder-like  
cloud of smoke and is impenetrable  
5. There is a dance (any kind of dance you want)  
6. Argument takes place at the table about  
a) Football vs. Soccer which ends in a fist fight OR  
b) whether Spike's sausage is hot enough OR  
c) who gets the wishbone


End file.
